Kaguya-sama: Love Is War wants me to turn myself in.

Without the slightest hesitation, Natsuki Amamiya nodded in agreement.

I've been in and out of the women's restroom seven times already, and I don't feel ashamed at all at the cricket-filled hot spring women's bath.

Looking around to make sure no one was passing by, Natsuki Amamiya lifted the curtain and walked confidently into the women's bath.

"It looks no different from the men's bathroom."

Amamiya Natsuki glanced at it and gave her evaluation.

On a wooden shelf against the wall are bamboo baskets used to hold clothes. Lifting a curtain reveals a simple bathroom for washing your body.

According to the island nation's tradition, one must thoroughly cleanse their body before soaking in a hot spring.

If you walk further ahead, you'll find the open-air hot spring bath.

Why are you wearing a bathrobe?

Amamiya Natsuki looked at Chika.

In a short while, the secretary had changed into a hot spring girl, with a towel wrapped around her hair and only a white bath towel on her body.

Her shoulders, neck, arms, and the adorable collarbones that were faintly visible were dazzlingly white under the light, as if they had been soaked in milk, making them quite alluring.

"Kaguya-chan said we need to be careful and not alert them," Fujiwara Chika smugly chuckled, explaining softly, "It would be strange to go in fully clothed, wouldn't it?"

Amamiya Natsuki nodded: "That's true."

"Kaguya-chan and Haimeng-chan's clothes were hard to take off, so I took off my clothes and disguised myself as a tourist soaking in the hot spring to go in and gather information." Fujiwara Chika raised her chin, her smile slightly smug and charming. "There weren't many people inside, only three in total: an old lady, a lady, and a young woman."

Kaguya Shinomiya continued the conversation:

"The core of the nightmare should be among these three people, but Qianhua said they all look like ordinary people, so it's impossible to determine who they are. That's why she asked you to come in and see if you can figure anything out."

Amamiya Natsuki said:

"I'll only know after I see it."

"Leave it to me." Fujiwara Chika accepted the task. "I guarantee I'll complete the mission. I'll go scout ahead first."

"It feels so weird." Kitagawa Kaimu put her right hand on her hip and muttered under her breath, "It feels like I'm helping someone do evil, letting you peep into the women's bathroom."

“Eh~ that’s true.” Fujiwara Chika nodded in agreement. “Natsuki-kun is so horny.”

Amamiya Natsuki made a turning motion: "Then I'll leave?"

"Tch." Kitagawa Kaimu raised her chin. "You can leave now."

"Wouldn't it be incredibly humiliating to just leave like that?" Amamiya Natsuki stopped in her tracks. "I'm going to be a voyeur, no doubt about it!"

Kaguya Shinomiya looked over speechlessly, covering her forehead with her right hand: "I think I've witnessed the lowest limits of human morality."

“That just means you haven’t seen enough.” Natsuki Amamiya looked at Kaguya. “Humans are actually creatures without morals or bottom lines.”

"..."

After a while.

The secretary, who had infiltrated to gather intelligence, quickly returned and waved to the three of them, saying:

"Everyone's soaking in the hot springs, come over here."

Upon hearing this, Natsuki Amamiya walked over.

"Hai Meng, you stay outside," Kaguya Shinomiya said in a low voice. "If anyone else comes in, let us know immediately."

"receive."

Kitagawa Kaimu raised his hand in salute.

Without wasting any time, Natsuki Amamiya, accompanied by Kaguya and Chika, began her adventure in the women's bath.

The three of them walked through the corridor and soon arrived at the backyard.

In the small courtyard.

A silver moon has quietly risen into the sky.

The moonlight, like water, shines over a thousand miles.

Stone lanterns are scattered throughout, along with gravel paths and artificial rock formations, creating a dry landscape garden.

"Infiltration successful."

Fujiwara Chika leaned closer and whispered in Amamiya Natsuki's ear, "That's where the hot spring is. The three of them are soaking in the hot spring."

The girl's breath was warm and sweet, making my ears itch slightly.

Amamiya Natsuki had no time to look elsewhere. She squinted at the scene, then quickly shook her head and said:

"No, it's too dark, I can't see clearly."

Only a few stone lanterns emitted a dim light in the courtyard, and a light mist lingered in the hot spring pool, making it difficult to see clearly.

"Is that so..." Kaguya Shinomiya pondered for a moment, then quickly came up with a solution. "Chika, go and lure them here."

"Hey, how do we lie?"

"Just say you're in trouble and need help. Remember, only lie to one person at a time, don't lie to too many."

“Um,” Fujiwara Chika held up two fingers and tapped them lightly on her chest, “I’m not one to lie, and I’m worried I won’t do a good job.”

Amamiya Natsuki glanced over: "When you were playing board games and lying to me, you didn't even blink."

“How can playing games be considered cheating?” Fujiwara Chika puffed out her cheeks and argued, “What the players do is called tactics.”

Amamiya Natsuki waved her hand: "Go quickly."

"..."

After watching Chika's actions, Amamiya Natsuki and Kaguya crouched behind a rock.

"In about ten minutes, the dream will restart again," Kaguya Shinomiya suddenly said in a low voice.

"what happened?"

Amamiya Natsuki turned to look at Kaguya.

Kaguya Shinomiya gently pursed her beautiful lips and whispered:

"Although we've found the target, it doesn't mean we can immediately break free from the nightmare... There's a high possibility that the dream will restart, right?"

Natsuki Amamiya nodded silently.

This is indeed the case.

It's very likely that another restart will be needed.

The campaign against organized crime can only apprehend others; it's not like the Imagine Breaker from Touma. The possibility that it can't break the nightmare still exists.

Kaguya Shinomiya took a light breath and bit her pink lips, saying:

"If it restarts again, remember to come find me first."

Being forcibly kissed by you in front of Chika and Haimeng is just too embarrassing to even think about. I never want to experience it again!

Amamiya Natsuki understood and said helplessly:

"I'd like to, but the problem is I don't know where you are."

After the restart, the Ice Sculpture Miss will not "refresh" under the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard. She will only go to the tree to read after a while.

Kaguya Shinomiya had anticipated this problem. She extended a slender finger and pressed it against her brow, saying:

"I have memories of what happened before... I was in the sauna next door."

Amamiya Natsuki exclaimed in surprise, "You actually like saunas?"

"I don't like it. The sticky feeling is uncomfortable at all." Kaguya Shinomiya pouted. "The timeline after the restart was the sauna. I had no idea what was going on. After taking a shower and returning to my room, I changed my clothes and went to the courtyard to read."

Natsuki Amamiya looked outside and saw Chika talking to one of them in the hazy moonlight. Turning her gaze away, she whispered to Kaguya:

Tell me the absolute secret that only you know.

"Eh?"

“Tell me the absolute secret, and I’ll use the secret to gain your trust,” Natsuki Amamiya said matter-of-factly. “Otherwise, I’ll have my ribs broken before I even meet you.”

Kaguya Shinomiya blushed upon hearing this and couldn't help but scold him playfully:

"Didn't you succeed both times just now?"

Amamiya Natsuki shrugged and said:

"The level of vigilance you'd have reading under a tree is definitely completely different from that of someone sweating in a sauna, right?"

Shinomiya Kaguya: "..."

That's true.

The self lost in the dream world is still the same self, only with its memories blocked.

If a boy suddenly comes over to chat you up, you should... not even open the door, not giving him any chance.

"Hurry up," Natsuki Amamiya urged in a low voice, "Chika is coming."

Kaguya Shinomiya looked up and saw that Chika had returned, accompanied by a short-haired girl, clearly having successfully seduced her.

Time was of the essence, so Kaguya Shinomiya gritted her teeth and quickly said:

"When I was a child, I once sculpted a small doll in art class..."

"Prince Charming?"

"No, that's not it!" Kaguya Shinomiya retorted. "It's Mom's doll. I haven't told anyone about it."

“I’ve got it.” Amamiya Natsuki nodded. “Anything else?”

"...You want more?"

"You yourself said there's only one secret. Would that make you lower your guard?"

Amamiya Natsuki countered with a question.

"..."

Obviously not.

The silly young lady understands her own personality very well.